The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-09-28
A YOUNG NAPOLEON.
"When Is it tobep"

cause he was my intimate friend. He had
told me all about his engagement with
Varina Vincent, the pretty school teacher
He had opened his heart to me, and felt
that l had the right to ask when the we'd
ding would take place.
To my surprise Strong's handsome face
clouded and he paused for moment be-
fore making reply.
"To tell you the TRUTH he said, tive
do not see our way clear to an early mar
riage. We are both poor, but we are
young and can afford to wait"
/ said nothing, but / could not help
thinking. In small town like Cotton.
vile Strong was regarded as very pros
porous young man. He had saved few
thousand dollars, and his salary was the
highest paid to any one in the place
Only few years before Strong had en-
tered country store rs clerk on starva-
ton wages. He had advanced steadily
until he had become the cashier of the
only bank In Cottonville.
~ have done pretty WELL" resumed
Strong, giving me keen glance, "but /
do not know exactly how stand. Some
of my Investments may turn out we'll, or
they may ruin me. Besides, l have Dor
rowed some money"
''That is what cannot understand"
interrupted. "You are prospecting, and
yet you borrow money fC- speculations.
That is not wise"
Strong laughed, and threw his head
back proudly.
"Old fellow, you don't know my Plans"
he answered; ~ have never made fail
ure yet. have the gift of seeing farther
han nd 7
to utilize IT, borrow money, but know
where to place it. don't venture be-
yond my depth. Debt Is blessing under
some circumstances. The most successful
nations and individuals go the deepest in
debt"
It was useless to argue with Strong. In
our debating society he had always come
of victor in every discussion. Self poised,
well equipped and magnetic, there were
few men, or women either, that he could
not win over to his side.
"Varina understands me-" he said.
"She is willing to wait. She knows that
it il best for us both"
"Weil, my young Napoleon" I re-
marked, ~ hope that one Of your brill
liant, speculative campaigns will satisfy
your ambition, and that you will then
settle down and marry and take life as
you find IT, Only few men find the
short cuts to fame and fortune, and IL is
dangerous to seek them"
Everybody in Cottonville called Strong
the young Napoleon of business. His
brilliancy, his rapid intuition, his imperi-
GUS ways, and the fact that his classic
features resembled somewhat those of the
great Corsican, had fixed the name on
him when he was in his teens. And he
liked 1t. All men like to think that they
resemble heroes and conquerors.
III.
"Twenty thousand dollars profit in cot
ton futures"
It was big thing for Cottonville. But
the young Napoleon took 1t quietly He
was not surprised, he said to his inquiring
friends. He had felt certain that he would
make ten strike.
81 am off for New York." said Strong,
the next day after tho intelligence of his
good fortune had reached him. "Goodby,
old fellow"
"But when are you coming back r' I
asked, holding him by the hand.
"Oh, don't know. can't very well
say Mt present"
"There is Varinap I exclaimed. "Ah,
I see. After your return there will be
wedding"
"Don't bother me with that subject
now" snapped my friend; my head is
full Of important business matters, and I
must go to New York There is no way
out of it. 1t is all right with Varina. or
course I am coming home as soon as 1
possibly can, but have an opportunity
Of getting on the inside in Wall street,
and must CO."
Getting on the insidef'
eyes, I said 80. But you know nothing
about speculation and care less. mean
Just this: have some friends there who
will put me up to something that will pay
better than any of my past ventures"
"My dear friend" urged, "why not
let well aloneS With your present start
you will soon be the richest man in Cot
tonyille."
"In Cottonviller' he sneered. "There,
never mind that / like the town and
am coming back. Goodby."
People shook their heads at first. In
few weeks their suspicious were confirmed.
Strong had plunged into the very vortex
of the speculative maelstrom In Wall
street, and It was not long before we
heard that he had made another lucky hit.
"Strong is phenomenal genius in his
way" said Banker Jones TO me one day.
"He reads human nature at glance, and
can adapt himself to any class Of men. l
have no doubt that he is as much at home
among the New York capitalists as II he
had been one Of them always. And he
will impress them, too, just as he i'm
pressed people here"
ventured to express doubt.
"You are mistaken" said Jones.
"Have you never noticed few rare men
who seem 10 have nothing in common
with the people around them-men who,
from their birth, are cosmopolitan by ma
ture, with nothing provincial about thems
Strong Is such a man A stranger could